Ian Macleod Chieftain's Glenburgie 13 YO

Glenburgie doesn't sell much of its production as single malt. This bottling for Ian Macleod's Chieftain's brand is finished in Chateau Palmer Bordeaux Casks. The colour is a pretty pinkish-brown. The reviewed cask # 91732 yielded 207 bottles. This is reviewed from a newly opened bottle

Nose: a bouquet of well-defined wine flavours controls the nose. The underlying gentle speyside malt remains in the background. Floral notes of rose and carnations. There is no hint of peat or smoke. This is similar to a Glengoyne nose. Very fruity, with plums, raisins, and blackberries. Dry and astringent. There is a bit of a counterbalancing sweetness, but overall the nose leans toward the dry. A beautiful nose. Water brings out citrus in the nose and flattens the wine flavours

Taste: the Chateau Palmer Bordeaux wine finish owns the palate, just as it owns the nose. Barley malt is easier to taste in the palate than it is to smell in the nose, and is pleasant. Citrus also appears on the palate. This gets sweeter as the delivery progresses. As in the nose, water brings out citrus and softens and flattens the wine flavours

Finish: this gets progressively sweeter into the finish, and finishes very sweet. Water rounds out these flavours

Balance: this is a bottle for wine-lovers. Malt takes a back seat. Grapey-fruity-floral rules the day here, but it is a very refined and beautiful grapey-fruity-floral. If you like the fine and refined wine flavours in your delicate Speyside malts, then this is a whisky for you. It is very interesting to watch this march from dry to very sweet as you go from nose to delivery to finish